The Man Behind The Apron
by Daryls Cherokee Rose
Summary: Grace wants to make an unusual gift for Steve. Danny has to school a teacher about outdated gender roles. Steve gets a family he wasn't expecting.


Disclaimer: I disclaim any ownership of all involved, recognized persons, places, or things in this fic. I'm just playing in the sandbox.

A.N.: So this came about after I saw a pic of Steve McGarrett in a camouflage apron. Thanks goes to the H5-0 Ladies on Twitter for encouraging this madness. And to Karen for the title.

Something had upset Grace, Danny could tell even from across the parking lot. She had the 'Williams Kick-Ass-Take-Names' face on. Danny couldn't wait to find out what had happened. He let her get away with slamming the passenger side door after she got in the car and buckled her seat belt. But he didn't say anything until they were off school grounds.

"What happened, Grace?" Danny knew that trying to use a nickname at this point would only add fuel to the fire.

"It's my stupid Home-Ec teacher. We have to do a sewing project, and I wanna make an apron but she won't let me order the camouflage fabric to make it with. I tried to tell her it's not for mom, and the person I'm making for would want the camo." Grace fumed, getting madder and more sullen as she talked.

Danny mentally scheduled time to talk to the teacher about gender roles and how they weren't set in stone, and how she needed to get over herself. Out loud he said "Ok, how about we make a deal. I'll talk to your teacher; but you make something different in her class. And when you're with me we can work on the apron together? That sound like a good deal to you?" Danny held his breath hoping he'd come up with a good compromise. He knew he had when Grace let out a deep breath and her shoulders lost some of the angry tension that they'd held.

"Yeah, ok Danno. That'll work." Grace was all smiles by the time they pulled into the driveway at Steve's house. "Oh, can it be a surprise? I wanna give it to him for Father's Day; I got something for you too." Grace said as they were getting out of the car.

"I think that's one of the best ideas you've ever had." Danny beamed as they made their way into the house.

The next week Danny had his meeting with the teacher in question, and was thrilled when a compromise was also reached with her. If Grace finished the apron and it met the teacher's standards it would count toward extra credit. Grace finished the school year with an 'A+' in Home-Ec. The pair worked tirelessly on the apron, adding a few embellishments after Grace had presented it to the teacher. Because Danny didn't want to have to explain that 'yes, a gun holster was a necessity on this particular item.' Danny decided to stick with the 'food prep' theme that Grace had inadvertently come up with and purchased a small 'hibachi' grill and some foods to grill on it, assuming that Steve would want to try the gifts out as soon as he opened them.

Danny and Grace made their way into a silent house, and Danny wondered if his assumption that Steve would just be home, was to be proven incorrect. What he found upon further inspection was only slightly more depressing. Steve was sitting at the desk in the office where his father had been killed all those years ago. Danny turned to Grace needing to occupy her until he could discern Steve's mental state. "Monkey, why don't you go ahead and get everything out of the car. You can even put the groceries in the fridge for me. Please."

Grace, being the bright kid she was, figured out what her father was doing and quietly accepted the car keys making her way back out of the house. "Ok Danno, I'll only take the car around the block once. Promise." She replied with an impish grin and stuck her tongue out when Danny made to swat at the back of her head. "Yeah, I get you. No joy riding. Spoil sport."

Danny slowly made his way into the office. "Babe, you ok in here. Grace and wanted to spend the day with you; I can come up with something if you're not up for it though." Danny offered sitting on the desk making sure his leg came into contact with Steve's arm. Steve looked up at Danny then, eyes wet with unshed tears, expression a little lost. "Oh babe. Yeah ok, we're not leaving. We even brought you presents. So come on. Grace has been working on this for about a month." Danny hopped off the desk clapping his hands. He watched as Steve stood from the chair, looking 15 years older than he was. Danny prayed that Grace's present wouldn't crash and burn. They made their way out to the lanai; Danny stopping off in the kitchen to grab a couple beers and a juice for Grace. He noted that all the food had been put away to Steve's exacting standard. And several gifts had been sat next to the chairs that Steve and Danny more often than not chose when sitting outside. "What's all this, Monkey?" Danny asked seeing the stack of gifts near his chair. He knew he hadn't put them in the car.

"Mom put them in the trunk, with the spare key she has, when she dropped me off yesterday." Grace shot Danny a smirk and Danny, for just a moment, was thankful for Rachel.

"Ok, alright. I get it. The car, which I bought with my hard earned money mind you, isn't really mine. Thanks for rubbing that in, Monkey. You're a real peach." Danny fumed, but he was smiling so Grace knew she wasn't in real trouble. Danny tore into his gifts without prompting and was rewarded with a tie which he was happy about. But it had pineapples all over it; which he mock grumbled about. He was also given a book, the fourth in a series that he'd been reading. Grace hugged him after he was done opening his gifts. Then she looked expectantly to Steve who had watched Danny open his gifts with trepidation. He hadn't known what he was getting gifts for. It was Father's Day, and he wasn't Grace's father. Danny stepped in, seeing Steve struggle to understand what was happening. "Open the gifts. Start with the big box. Be grateful, and if you hate on any of it they'll never find enough pieces to identify." Danny whispered, smiling for Grace's benefit.

"I don't understand. It's Father's day. I'm not." Steve cut off whatever he was going to say when Danny shot him a look that would have lesser men admitting to crimes they hadn't committed.

Grace piped up then, wanting Steve to know she loved him just as much as she loved her Danno. "Steve you've been dating Danno for 5 years. I consider you more a father to me than Stan is. So, yeah; Happy Father's Day." She said quickly ducking in to plant a quick kiss on Steve's cheek. "Now open your presents. I'm hungry and Danno said you'd make lunch." Grace admonished moving the stack of two gifts more in front of Steve.

"Grace; you know I love you like you were my own. Let's get these presents open, I can hear your stomach growling from here." Steve said, swiping his hands over his face to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall at Grace's words. He exclaimed over the grill for several minutes, and was delighted when Danny mentioned that they'd brought the proper veggies, and meats to utilize the new device. As soon as he got the apron opened and unfolded he stood and put it over his head tying the strings around his waist.

"We added a holster for your gun. Danno helped a little. Do you like it?" Grace asked hoping she'd done good with her gift.

"I love it Grace. It's the best apron ever. You're a pretty awesome kid." Steve said opening his arms to pull Grace into a hug. Danny smiled, as he moved to add himself to the hug, he had a pretty awesome family.


End file.
